Wire stretcher



March 14, 1944. G. F. NlDlvr-:R i

WIRE STRETCHER Filed Feb. 20, 1943 Inventor o hmllihll WW ,6mm

Patented Mar. 14, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WIRE STRETCHER George F. Nidiver, Des' Moines, Iowa Application February 20, 1943, Serial No. 476,586

Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in wire stretchers of the typedesi'gned for attachment to a fence post to stretch fence wire.

Among the important objects of the invention are to provide a simply constructed device of the character indicated vinvolving few parts, and which is easy to operate, safe, particularly designed to withstand the stresses and strains incident to stretching heavy gauge wire, adapted for quick attachment to different sizes of fence posts and use with equal facility at opposite sides of such posts, and which is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other' and subordinate objects are also comprehended by myl invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said` drawing:

Figure 1 is a View in plan illustrating my improved wire stretcher in the preferred embodiment thereof,

Figure 2 is a View in side elevation,

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3 of- Figu-re 1,

Figure 4 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 1 and drawn to an enlarged Scale, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view partly in section and partly in side elevation of the yoke, the extension section of the brace frame and the locking dog for the extension frame and other parts of said frame.

Referring to the drawingv by numerals, my improved wire stretcher' in the illustrated embodiment thereof comprises a chain guide having the form of an elongated,.substantially rectangular, fiat bottomed housing I provided in the top thereof with a central longitudinal slot 2 of reduced width formed by a pair of longitudinal, lateraily spaced, upstanding anges 3 on said top.

Extending rearwardly from What constitutes relatively for a short distance, as at 6, to dispose the remainder of the bars in the rear of the housing further apart than the Width of said housing and parallel for a purpose presently seen.

A rectangular, bar-like yoke l is fittedV around the grappling bars 4 contiguous the grappling hooks 5i to depend therefrom crosswise thereof forA a purpose also presently apparent. The top of the yoke 'If is boltedy to said bars' 4 to extend across" and brace the same'.

A- brace frame 3' of flat bar-like material inelines downwardly and rearwardly from the bottonr of thehousing I and comprisesa pair of side. bars 9 underlying the grappling bars 4'. The side bars 9 follow' the contour of the bars 4 and extend through the yoke I to the bottom of which Sa'idlbars areV suitably connected. A U-shaped, barlike extension section It! has its sides imposed on top of the b'arsf 91 for sliding thereon forwardly and rearwardly along the same intov different set positions and through guides II provided on the bars 9. The set positions of the section It of the brace trame ilA are established by a pair of locking dogs, as at I-2, pivoted, as at I3, on the sides of the yoke l' for ratcheting over ratchet teeth I4V and the sides of the extension section- Ill and arranged so that said section is releasably locked in extended position against sliding forwardly. Hand grips, as at I5, extend from the pivots of the dogs I2 out of the sides of the yoke 'I and provide for releasing said dogs'.` The closed rear end I6v of the extensionrsection l0- is adapted to extend across a fence post, and isl toothed, as at II, to bite into the post.

A link chain I8 is provided for looping aroun a fence post I9 and 'attachment by rings 20 on the same tothe grappling hooks 5 to anchor the latter to said post so that the grappling bars 4 and housing I may be extended horizontally from one or the other side of the post. By setting the extension section Il] of the brace frame 9 to engage the rear end I6V thereof with the post I9 in the horizontally extended position of the grappling bars 4 and housing I, said 4bars and housing will be maintained in said position against sagging. Extra rings 2| are provided on the chain- I8 for use With larger sizes of posts I9 in a manner which Will be clear.

A section of roller-type, sprocket chain 22- is slidably extended: through the housing I for the attachment offence wire, not show-n, thereto in any suitable manner, to be stretched by rearward pull exerted on said cha-in.

For pulling the chain 22- rearwardly, a hand lever 23 and lever operated dog 24 are provided.

The hand lever 23 comprises a blfurcated inner end 25 straddling the grappling bars 4, crosswise, between the housing l and the yoke l, and which is pivoted, as at 26, to one bar 4 for swinging forwardly and rearwardly. A stop pin 21 on the other bar 4 in front of said end 25 of the lever 23 limits forward swinging thereof. The dog 24 is of the usual type and is swiveled, as at 28, in the bifurcated end 25 of the lever 23 to extend forwardly therefrom between the bars 4 into the housing l and over said chain 22 for gravitational movement into said chain to clutch the rollers thereof.

As will be understood, the dog 24 is designed to be moved forwardly and rearwardly in the housing I by swinging of the hand lever 23 and is provided with a hook free end adapted to ride over the rollers of the chain 22 during forward movement of the dog and to hook over successive rollers under rearward movement of the dog to pull the chain step by step rearwardly and thereby stretch the wire attached to the chain. A iinger grip 29 on the dog 24 provides for manually releasing the same from the chain 22, or in other words, the rollers thereof, by swinging of the dog upwardly.

A holding dog 30, similar to said dog 24, but reversely arranged relative to the dog 24, is pivoted, as at 3l, in between the flanges 3 at the front end of the housing I for vertical swinging into and from obstructing relation to the rollers of said chain 22 to hold said chain against forward movement under the tension exerted by the stretched wire. The holding dog 30 may be swung upwardly and forwardly by a, finger grip 32 into an idle position against a stop pin 33 extending between the flanges 3 at the front end of the housing l.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, since the manner in which the same s designed to be used and operated has been set forth in connection with the description of the parts thereof.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A wire stretcher for attachment-to a fence post comprising an elongated housing, a pair of laterally spaced grappling bars extending from one end of the housing and terminating in a pair of grappling hooks, a chain adapted to loe looped around said post and for attachment to said hooks to anchor said bars and housing to the post to extend horizontally from one side thereof, ja stretcher chain movable lengthwise through said housing step by step and adapted for the attachment of Wire thereto for stretching under such movement thereof, manipulative means to move said stretcher chain step by step, and means estending between said housing and post to maintain the housing and grappling bars against sagging out of horizontal position.

2. A wire stretcher for attachment to a fence post comprising an elongated housing, a pair of laterally spaced grappling bars extending from one end of the housing and terminating in a pair of grappling hooks, a, chain adapted to be looped around said post and for attachment to said hooks to anchor said bars and housing to the post to extend horizontally from one side thereof, a stretcher chain movable lengthwise through said housing step by step and adapted for the attachment of wire thereto for stretching under such movement thereof, manipulative means to move said stretcher chain step by step, and means extending between said housing and post to maintain the housing and grappling bars against sagging out of horizontal position, said manipulative means including a hand lever pivoted on one grappling bar for movement in oplposite directions, a chain operating dog adapted to extend from said lever into said housing and endwise movable in opposite directions by said lever, said dog having a hooked free end for ratcheting over said stretcher chain under movement thereof in one direction and hooking into said stretcher chain under movement thereof in the opposite direction and being swiveled at its other end on said lever for gravitational movement of the hooked end thereof into said stretcher chain.

3. A wire stretcher for attachment to a fence post comprising an elongated housing, a pair of laterally spaced grappling bars extending from one end of the housing and terminating in a pair of grappling hooks, a chain adapted to be looped around said post and for attachment to said hooks to anchor said bars and housing to the post to extend horizontally from one side thereof, a stretcher chain movable lengthwise through said housing step by step and adapted for the attachment of wire thereto for stretching under such movement thereof, manipulative means to move said stretcher chain step by step, and means extending between said housing and post to maintain the housing and grappling bars against sagging out of horizontal position, said manipulative means including a hand lever pivoted on one grappling bar for movement in opposite directions, a chain operating dog adapted to extend from said lever into said housing and endwise movable in opposite directions by said lever. said dog having a hooked free end for ratcheting over said stretcher chain under movement thereof in one direction and hooking into said stretcher chain under movement thereof in the opposite direction and being swiveled at its other end on said lever for gravitational -movement of the hooked end thereof into said stretcher chain, and a holding dog pivoted in said housing for ratcheting movement into and out of said stretcher chain.

4. A wire stretcher for attachment to a fence post comprising an elongated housing, a pair of laterally spaced grappling bars extending from one end of the housing and terminating in a pair of grappling hooks, a chain adapted to be looped around said post and for attachment to said hooks to anchor said bars and housing to the post to extend horizontally from one side thereof, a stretcher chain movable lengthwise through said housing step by step and adapted for the attachment of wire thereto for stretching under such movement thereof, manipulative means to move said stretcher chain step by step, and means extending between said housing and post to maintain the housing and grappling bars against sagging out of horizontal position, said last-mentioned means including an extensible frame inclining downwardly from said housing to said post and having a toothed curved free end for biting into the side of the post said endt being adapted to extend crosswise of said pos 5. A wire stretcher for attachment to a fence post comprising an elongated housing, a pair of laterally spaced grappling bars extending from one end of the housing and terminating in a pair of grappling hooks, a chain adapted to be looped around said post and for attachment to said hooks to anchor said bars and housing to the post to extend horizontally from one side thereof, a stretcher chain movable lengthwise through said housing step by step and adapted for the attachment of Wire thereto for stretching under such movement thereof, manipulative means to move said stretcher chain step by step, and means extending between said housing and post to maintain the housing and grappling bars against sagging out of horizontal position, said last-mentioned means including an extensible frame including downwardly from said housing to said post beneath said grappling bars and comprising a pair of laterally spaced fixed frame bars, an extensible U-shaped section slidably mounted on said frame bars and having a toothed curved end for biting into the side of the post said end being adapted to extend crosswise of said post, a yoke depending from said grappling bars and supporting said frame, and coacting devices on said section and yoke for maintaining the section in different extended positions.

- G. F. NIDIVER. 

